Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was born on Feb. 12, 1809 in Kentucky.
Here’s what’s closed on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, Feb. 12.
Los Angeles superior and state of California courts (lacourt.ca.gov/holiday/ui/index.aspx)
Visit
Lincoln Memorial Shrine: The shrine is a Civil War museum and a research center. Hours: 1-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. The research center, however, is open by appointment only (909-798-7632). Free admission. Location, 125 W. Vine St., Redlands. 909-798-7636. www.lincolnshrine.org/contact and www.lincolnshrine.org
Here’s a sampling of online resources to learn more about Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park: The National Park Service presents videos honoring Lincoln on Feb. 12 on Facebook. The park in Hodgenville, Kentucky, preserves two farms: Sinking Spring Farm, where Lincoln was born, and Knob Creek Farm where he later lived as a child. Watch the videos and learn more about the national historical park here: www.facebook.com/LincolnBirthplaceNPS. Also, the park’s website: www.nps.gov/abli/index.htm
The White House Historical Association page for Lincoln: https://www.whitehousehistory.org/galleries/abraham-lincolns-white-house
Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/gettysburg.htm
Lincoln Memorial: Read about Lincoln and see panoramic photos and videos about the iconic building in Washington, D.C. here: www.nps.gov/linc/index.htm. The memorial opened in 1922 and is administered by the National Park Service. An Abraham Lincoln Birthday Observance ceremony is scheduled, 10:45 a.m. Feb. 12, 2026 at the memorial: tinyurl.com/yc4jap7n
Abraham Lincoln Assassination and Ford’s Theatre: www.nps.gov/thingstodo/explore-fords-theater.htm
Facts to know about Lincoln on his 217th birthday:
- He was born on Feb. 12, 1809, in a log cabin near Hodgenville, Hardin County (now LaRue County), Kentucky.
- He served as president from March 4, 1861-April 15, 1865.
- He was shot by John Wilkes Booth on the night of April 14 while attending a play, “Our American Cousin,” at Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C.
- Lincoln died on April 15, 1865. He was 56 years old.
- Lincoln, along with his wife and three of their four sons, is buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. Details: tinyurl.com/3ken4wnj
- States that list Lincoln’s birth date as a state holiday include Connecticut, Illinois and Missouri.
- Lincoln’s birthday has never been a federal holiday. Historically, there have been attempts to persuade Congress, but politics prevailed.
- He is often named within the top three spots in over-the-years rankings of best United States presidents by historians and political scientists. His leadership during the Civil War 1861-65 earns him the acclaim.
- Lincoln’s favorite dessert has been reported to be White Almond Cake with confectioner’s sugar, as baked by his wife Mary Todd Lincoln. Here’s a recipe found in “Lincoln’s Table: A Presidential Culinary Journey from Cabin to Cosmopolitan” by Donna D. McCreary (https://thehistoricalhomemaker.com/2023/11/04/mary-todd-lincolns-white-cake)